Friction-clutch



(No Model.)

B RIVETT FRICTION CLUTCH.

Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVARD RIVETT, OF BOSTON, MASSAOHUSET' FRICTION-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,738, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed February 9, 1891. Serial No. 380,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD RIVETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and'State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Friction -Clutches, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in frictioirclutches for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting a loose pulley, gear, cam, or other object to and from a shaft, as will hereinafter bemore fully shown and described, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the lnvention. Fig. 2 represents a central longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 represents a crosssection on the line X X shown in Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts when ever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

A represents the shaft having a tubular bore or recess A, adapted to receive the clutch-expander rod B, which is capable of a longitudinal adjustment within said recess, but is preferably prevented from turning around its axis within the same, and for this purposeI prefer to make a longitudinal groove 1) on said rod B, adapted to receive a key or projection a on the interior of the recess A, as shown.

On the shaft A is loosely journaled the disk C, which may represent a pulley, gear, cam, or the like, to be frictionally connected to the shaft A whenever so desired, said disk having an annular rim or flange 0, adapted to receive the expansive slitted ring D, as shown in the drawings.

In one piece with the shaft A or secured to it 1n any suitable manner is a hub E, which 15 arranged within the expansive slitted ring D, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said hub being held in one place to said ring, preferably diametrically opposite to its slitted portion (Z, as shown in dotted lines at d in Fig. 3. The said ring and hub may be held together by means of a screw, pin,rivet, key, or any other well-known device without departing from the essence of my invention.

The inner end of the rod B is made tapering or inclined, as shown at B in Fig. 2, or it may be conical for the purpose of pressing outward a pinf when the rod B is moved in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, said pin being preferably guided in a lateral perforation made through the shaft A and part of the hub E, as shown in Figs. 2 and F is a lever the outer end of which is inserted in the slit (Z of the ring D, the said lever having its inner end resting on the outer end of the pin f, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It is not essential that the pin or projectionf should be made separate from the lever F, as it may be made in one piece with it or secured to it, if so desired.

The operation of the improved frictionclutch deviceis as follows: \Vhen it is desired to frictionally connect the shaft A and the disk C, all that is necessary to do is to push the expander-rod B inward, as shown in the drawings, causing the inner end of the lever F to be forced outward, and causing its outer end to expand the slitted ring D, which is thereby forced against the interior of the annular flange of the disk C, thus securing the latter very firmly to the shaft and its hub and holding said parts together as long as the slitted ring is so expanded. To release the disk C from its shaft it is only necessary to move the rod B in a direction opposite to that shown by arrow in Fig. 2, by which the outward pressure on the leverF is released,causing the slitted ring D to contract sufficiently to release it from contact with the ring C on the disk 0, thus permitting the latter to rotate without imparting motion to the shaft A, or vice versa.

Any suitable device may be employed for actuating the expander-rod B without departing from the essence of my invention.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- The herein-described frictiou clutch, consisting of a tubular shaft, a disk loosely jour-v naled thereon, a slitted expansive ring secured to said shaft, a longitudinally-adjustable tapering expander-rod arranged within the tubular shaft, and a lever actuated by said rod and having its outer end inserted in the name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 8d day of February, A. D. 1891.

| EDWARD RIVETTI 5 slitted portion of said expansive ring, sub- Witnesses:

stantially as and for the purpose set forth. ALBAN ANDREN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my ALICE A. PERKINS. 

